Vampire Survivors' free Darkasso update is now available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox, and mobile devices.
"It's been a while since we added a new major feature, so we tried not to spoil the contents of this patch immediately," Poncle teased in the patch notes. "Hope it worked to keep the contents a bit of a surprise."
New additions include nine new extra achievements, a new challenge stage and relic, two new "special character skins", and five new Arcanas to spice up your experience.
Dome Keeper launched back in 2022 and was already a brilliant little roguelike, however I found it to be a little too minimalist for my needs at the time. Two years later, however, it’s emerged back on my gaming radar following a massive update back in July, which brought with it a shocking amount of […]
Since its initial release in 2017, roguelike Dead Cells has come a long way- partnering with the likes of Castlevania and Hollow Knight, and delivering update after update at every step. But now, Motion Twin and Evil Empire are preparing to send it off with a bang. Update 35: The End is Near will be… Read More »Dead Cells ends off its 7-year run with last major update
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is an honest attempt at the roguelike genre featuring the four titular heroes in a half-shell.
The setting and art direction successfully mimic Nickelodeon’s beloved TV series, all the way down to the constant banter between Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello, as well as with the inclusion of the handful of familiar baddies they have to beat (and re-beat, and re-beat again) throughout the campaign.
All of this is to be expected by TMNT fans, and the game rightfully delivers on all fronts when it comes to allowing up to four players to spend an afternoon controlling the ninja rascals while slicing through hordes of cutesy foes. However, aside from that specific draw bolstered by some admittedly infectious dynamism, there isn’t much here to warrant prolonged attention.
As mentioned, Splintered Fate is structured as a roguelike, meaning players will progress through randomly-generated stages in linear fashion while earning currencies, learning skills, and besting bosses at regular intervals during a full run lasting roughly 30 minutes. It’s played from a top-down perspective that allows players a clear view of the action, instantly making it a fair (yet chaotic) romp given the sheer quantity of enemies that will fill up the screen.
The plot has the turtles dealing with an enigmatic character who’s kidnapped their master and locked him away in another dimension. They urge the boys to complete a series of stages accessible through a portal conveniently placed within their hideout. With (roughly) each new attempt, the turtles accrue clues on how to ultimately rescue Splinter and get him back. Unfortunately, the runs don’t vary much, and players will have to witness the same collection of bland, uneventful-looking biomes and the same bosses in the very same order (with only slight random variations from time to time) over and over again.
While the plot isn’t anything to write home about, each line of dialogue is dutifully recorded with a cadence that resembles the TV shows, and it goes a long way to selling the experience to fans. Granted, not every videogame needs to propose a philosophical basis for why we, as players, “need” to willingly initiate the next chapter of play while postulating semi-hidden meta-commentary on the nature of life, but Splintered Fate is an example where it’s clear from the get-go that story doesn’t matter — and truth be told, allowing oneself to get entangled in building an all-powerful turtle is incentive enough to keep restarting the same loop for a good while.
Unsurprisingly, up to four people can play together, either locally or online, each controlling one of the turtles while trying to navigate the ever-increasing onslaught of enemies with brightly colored area-of-attack indicators heralding each offensive move. Splintered Fate does a fine job of intuitively teaching newcomers its core mechanics and allowing them to get into a rhythm before long — the action is always zappy, fluid, and entertaining, with various combinations of enemies and bosses aggressively racking up the difficulty to eventually force the player into a more calculated, hit-and-run style. Learning how to spot tiny gaps between enemies’ attack chains to land a crunchy critical strike is as satisfying and rewarding as one would hope.
In addition to this smooth teaching curve, Splintered Fate also features a fair amount of character variety and RPG elements, evident from the very screen when we get to select a character.
While each turtle uses a different weapon with a unique attack speed, reach, and combos, Leo can store up to two special attacks at once, Donatello heals between rounds and more quickly recharges a “Tool” attack, Raphael is all about scoring critical hits and Michelangelo receives multi-hit bonuses — and is generally more likable than the rest!
On top of that, players get to pick between various boosts upon clearing a room, allowing them to apply elemental damage-over-time effects like fire, lighting, and poison (or whatever “ooze” is supposed to be), as well as increasing their chance to score a critical hit or dodge an enemy swing. Defensively, we can use a small dash move to get out of danger, which replenishes after a few seconds to remind us that situation awareness is supremely important in Splintered Fate.
While this may sound a bit complex, that’s not the case in practice. Once the action starts and upon clearing a room, a selection of two or three powers appear on screen that players can choose from in true roguelike fashion. For example, playing as Donatello, I might be prompted to choose between prolonging the invincibility period of my Tool attack or increasing the reach of my Special attack, making it easier to strike fools in all directions at once.
Aside from that choice system, we also earn currencies that can be spent to bolster certain aspects of our build — things like getting a revive that automatically respawns the character upon death, or permanently increasing things like health points or faster move speed. Of course, such a scheme coalesces into a satisfying advances, as even failed runs allow one to make critical upgrades across the board, boosting the desire to surmount each of Splintered Fate’s challenges.
On the flip side, this system proved unable to combat the staleness that started to creep in once I had successfully been through a dozen successful runs. Of course no game is meant to last forever, but replay and variety are hallmarks of the roguelike genre and in this way, Splintered Fate comes up a bit short. It’s a good time while it lasts — especially for Turtles fans — but more content, more variety and perhaps a little more narrative would have boosted the experience to the next level. But still, it’s OK!
Rating: 7 out of 10
Disclosures: This game was developed and published by Super Evil Mega Corp. It is currently available on Switch, PS5, XBX and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch Lite. Approximately 10 hours of play were devoted to the game, and it was completed. About 45 minutes were spent in online multiplier with two other players, while the maximum player count is four.
Parents: This game has received an E rating from the ESRBand contains Fantasy Violence. The game features the titular cartoon characters as they battle through hordes of enemy ninjas and robots in an attempt to track down and save their kidnapped master. The writing, action, and art direction are all faithful to Nickelodeon’s long-running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: All dialogue in this game is shown via textboxes and fairly well-acted voiceovers, so they’re easy to keep track of even mid-fights. All enemy attacks are clearly telegraphed on-screen with easy-to-note areas of attack. I’d say this game is fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: This game doesn’t offer a controller diagram and the controls are not remappable. However, the controls are displayed at all times during gameplay at the screen’s corners for easy reference. On the Switch, the face buttons are for striking, using special attacks, and dashing in and out of danger, while the left stick moves the character.
9th August 2024 - Indie developer Silvine Game Studio is excited to name the date for the release of their Turn Based Strategy title, Artifice: War Tactics, that has been in development for four years, on Steam PC and the full release is 16th August 2024.
Already this distinguished and deeply planned/researched creation has been finely tuned and skillfully worked on over this extended period to ensure a game of depth, challenge and not least quality. It has already won, or been nominated for, a number of awards!
Opening up to a new world of Challenge
Developer’s Silvine strategy game adds another dimension to a genre that is sometimes overlooked as being formulaic, very simple in design, presentation and procedural play. Artifice: War Tactics is a turn-based strategy roguelike game with a unique asymmetric combat system. In this game, enemies set up attack zones, while your champions can actively evade and disrupt strategy using their traits, abilities, or items.
Studio Quote - Technology/Inspirational
Neeraj Kumar, Founder. Silvine, ”Our studio specialises in both design and technology. Creating an art-heavy game has been a challenge for us, one we have successfully negotiated! We conducted extensive research, made iterations, and received a lot of help from colleagues with specialised expertise. Our inspiration stems from games like XCOM, Into the Breach, and Darkest Dungeon.”
The Game
Unleash your tactical prowess in a mediaeval fantasy world where survival depends on thwarting enemy ambushes with an array of champions at your disposal. Defeat powerful bosses to conquer strongholds and lead your army to victory!
Chaos ensued as civil war broke out in every kingdom, demanding its rulers to bow down to Theosus, or face the wrath of the people. In the end, not many remained to challenge Theosus as he became Ozaria’s sovereign. Years later, Sirion, the keeper of the relic, reached out to the mortals of this realm to rally against the tyranny. He gathered all the rebels to form the Conclave and entrusted the last of the stone fragments to them. You are the leader of this Conclave, and even though your chances of success are slim, it is up to you now to overthrow this false god.
Gameplay - visually cool, challengingly perfect!
Presentation and action is via the asymmetric grid combat system where you can execute an impressive array of combinations and synergies. Every action carries consequences. The animation and special effects that accompany each move add real impact to the game’s authenticity and overall ambience, just one of many impressive features.
Setting up to play, each turn base move follows a number of sequences/choices at the player's control. Observe enemy positions and deduce where they’re most likely to set up an ambush. Anticipate where the enemy is most likely to move during the following turn to position your champions. Position your champions strategically. Set attack zones and engage your enemies to create chain reactions of combos, maximising your victory and striking as many enemies as possible. A user-friendly interface gives lots of information about the enemies’ powers and move positions and there are various key presses that will bring up further helpful information. After only a short period of time and your first success Artifice becomes very intuitive.
Look out!
The biome hazards come in four types: Sandworm, frost wraith, Poison Ivy, and Floating Rune. They can be both dangerous and useful. If you are able to hit the enemies while they are next to them, they also attack the enemies. On the other hand, if you end up taking a hit while next to them, you might end up losing a shard (life), which will make the battle more difficult. Using them wisely is important for a master tactician.
Features & Facts
Every unit has its own move and attack patterns, as well as unique traits and abilities.
After winning 4 battles, you can challenge the boss.
If you defeat the boss, a new island will unlock.
There are a total of 3 islands and 1 final boss fight to complete.
Collect any items or resources that enemies drop when defeated.
Win the battle and earn rewards based on achieving secondary objectives and in-game drops.
Visit the loadout area to equip great items and upgrade your champions.
Experiment with different objectives and aim for the rewards you need the most.
About Silvine Game Studios
Founded by Neeraj Kumar, Aubhik Nath, Ekta Verma, and Vishal Mohan, Silvine Game Studios is an indie developer based in Chennai, India. After their success with Asura: Vengeance Edition, the team reunited to create Artifice: War Tactics. Learn more at Silvine Game Studios.
Pip My Dice is a Yahtzee roguelike where you’ll use customizable dice and powerful relics to rig the odds in your favor as you battle bosses and climb the online leaderboards.
Drawing inspiration from Balatro and Yahtzee, Pip My Dice is a dice-based roguelike deckbuilder where players can upgrade their dice or employ various strategies to battle their way through different stages. Players must … Read More
Karate Survivor features a very addictive fusion of beat ’em up and Survivors-like gameplay as a martial arts master beats up huge hordes of thugs.
Drawing inspiration from 80’s action movies, Karate Survivor is a Survivors-like roguelite beat ’em up where you use improvised weapons and combos to beat up thugs. The combat is similar to Stick it to the Stickman, with you able … Read More
SWAP/MEAT is a co-op roguelite third person shooter where you hunt aliens for their meat, which you use to swap out body parts with new abilities.
Playable with one to four players, in SWAP/MEAT you’re a Meat Scientist who works for Rangus Meats and travels to different planets and hunts aliens for meat. The body parts of the aliens you kill can be swapped out … Read More
Mother Machine is a quirky co-op action roguelite platformer where ravenous chaos goblins climb and feast their way through alien caves.
Playable with one to four players, in Mother Machine you are a cute little chaos goblin who has an insatiable appetite. As you and your friends run, jump, swing and blimp your way through procedurally generated cave systems you’ll unlock a wide array of … Read More
Feed The Gods is a multiplayer card-battling roguelike where cultists attempt to fight their way out of a pit of doom before they’re eaten by an ancient god.
Playable with 3-6 players, in Feed The Gods you are a cult leader who uses cards to help guide a loyal cultist to freedom from a pit below the Tower of Doom. Matches take place on a … Read More
One of the best roguelikes on PC is getting a farewell of sorts this week. Twitchy slashfest Dead Cells received its final major update, introducing new enemies, fresh weapons, and a few mutations. Unfortunately, all this new stuff is very cursed. In other words, it all toys with the game's "curse" status effect, a hex that causes you to be killed if you take even a single hit. You'll probably die a few times as a result of this update, which in some ways is a fitting finalé for this fast-paced jar smasher of a game. You can see the new features in the trailer below.
I'm no shoot 'em up nutter - or "shmutter", as I understand they prefer to be called - but some of the first games I remember playing are shmups. Games like Maelstrom, Ambrosia's Macintosh clone of Asteroids, and the proto-shmup Crystal Quest from Patrick Buckland, who would go on to make Carmageddon. Little did I know that the humble premise of a small 2D spacecraft shooting baddies on a wrap-around screen would reach the glittering heights of Nova Drift. Had you shown me this game back in 1995, I dare say I'd have shmupped myself.
One of the best roguelikes on PC is getting a farewell of sorts this week. Twitchy slashfest Dead Cells received its final major update, introducing new enemies, fresh weapons, and a few mutations. Unfortunately, all this new stuff is very cursed. In other words, it all toys with the game's "curse" status effect, a hex that causes you to be killed if you take even a single hit. You'll probably die a few times as a result of this update, which in some ways is a fitting finalé for this fast-paced jar smasher of a game. You can see the new features in the trailer below.
I'm no shoot 'em up nutter - or "shmutter", as I understand they prefer to be called - but some of the first games I remember playing are shmups. Games like Maelstrom, Ambrosia's Macintosh clone of Asteroids, and the proto-shmup Crystal Quest from Patrick Buckland, who would go on to make Carmageddon. Little did I know that the humble premise of a small 2D spacecraft shooting baddies on a wrap-around screen would reach the glittering heights of Nova Drift. Had you shown me this game back in 1995, I dare say I'd have shmupped myself.
Hm. Hmmmm. Right. So, what have we got here? There’s my Blood Donor card, which reduces the value of the hearts I play, but also heals me. That’s fine, actually. Reduced score means I can squeeze in another card for more healing. If I can pull my Tarot card, I'll deal damage with each heal, and I’ve already pulled two scratch cards for yet more quick damage. Now, if I can just pull a Jack, I can plonk down the King Of Space And Time for a brutal finisher. That’ll transfer everything on my side over to my opponent’s, forcing a bust for a nice final chunk of hurt and…
Hm. Hmmmm. Right. So, what have we got here? There’s my Blood Donor card, which reduces the value of the hearts I play, but also heals me. That’s fine, actually. Reduced score means I can squeeze in another card for more healing. If I can pull my Tarot card, I'll deal damage with each heal, and I’ve already pulled two scratch cards for yet more quick damage. Now, if I can just pull a Jack, I can plonk down the King Of Space And Time for a brutal finisher. That’ll transfer everything on my side over to my opponent’s, forcing a bust for a nice final chunk of hurt and…
Demon’s Mirror is an upcoming roguelike game from developer Be-Rad Entertainment. “Great! Another roguelike game!” you might exclaim in exasperation. Don’t worry, though, because Demon’s Mirror offers an additional twist, one that sees the genre combined with deckbuilding reminiscent of Slay the Spire and match-3 or, in this case, chain-3 gameplay, akin to Puzzle Quest.
I had a chance to check out a hands-off preview of Demon’s Mirror. I joined Brad Johnson, the founder of Be-Rad Entertainment, as well as folks from publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment. While I only saw a brief glimpse of the characters and mechanics, I was still very much intrigued by tactical intricacies.
Demon’s Mirror features three heroes who have been trapped in a dark realm. Only two were available in the demo, Wulf and Draga, though it was easy to see their unique perks and card abilities. For instance, Wulf gets a free chain point, whereas Draga can lower the cost of chaining and cards by a point. Sounds a bit confusing? Well, then, I’ll go ahead and explain the mechanics…
As mentioned earlier, Demon’s Mirror combines deckbuilding and chain-3 gameplay. During your character’s turn, you can use action points to either chain tiles on the board or play the cards in your hand. Chaining essentially means drawing a line across multiple symbols of the same type, such as swords to deal damage, shields to block damage, or essence (i.e. green orbs) to buff cards. There’s even another resource called willpower (i.e. purple gems), which gives three potential effects to choose from.
“Demon’s Mirror offers an additional twist, one that sees the genre combined with deckbuilding reminiscent of Slay the Spire…”
Naturally, the more symbols and the longer the line you chain, the stronger the effect. This is where your tactical acumen comes into play since you need to ascertain whether it’s better to deal damage to a foe, empower your next action, or block an oncoming hit. Another cool tidbit is that there’s an accessibility setting that automatically shows you the longest line you can trace, in case that’s the action you want to do during that turn.
As for the card-based gameplay in Demon’s Mirror, those in your hand are refreshed each turn, allowing you to make use of various abilities and quirks. For instance, one card might deal flat damage to all enemies, while another has a bigger boost against a single target. The most useful, as I’ve seen, is the card that swaps tiles that are next to each other. It’s another layer of strategy for those who really want to create the longest chain on the board.
Similarly, the foes you battle can place their own enemy tiles, which automatically deal damage to your character after a few turns. When this occurs, you have to prioritize destroying that tile or at least prepare to take the brunt of the hit. As you plan your moves, you also have to consider your chosen character’s unique perks as they relate to the action economy.
“…with each run in Demon’s Mirror, you could find yourself completing objectives or tallies, allowing you to unlock modifiers for future attempts.”
I asked Be-Rad Entertainment founder Brad Johnson how he conceptualized Demon’s Mirror, especially since it combined the three genres of roguelike, deckbuilder, and match-3/chain-3. According to Johnson, it was a challenge to try and balance all three genres. However, the team did obtain a lot of feedback after doing two beta tests, the second of which had over a hundred testers. I was told that the team is confident that Demon’s Mirror will be “more accessible, fun, and balanced” due to the preparations that they’ve made.
I should also mention the roguelike aspect since your journey in Demon’s Mirror requires you to clear three zones. Each zone’s map has icons representing enemies, elites, bosses, shops, campsites, and even random events. (Regrettably, I’ve been told that there are no multi-stage event sequences or secret outcomes as of this moment.)
With each attempt, your character’s cards are randomized from a pool of those that you’ve unlocked. Likewise, the icons on the map will have randomized positions, too, which means the path you take to your goal will be different. Lastly, with each run in Demon’s Mirror, you could find yourself completing objectives or tallies, allowing you to unlock modifiers for future attempts.
All in all, Demon’s Mirror is shaping up to be a promising title that offers a unique mishmash of mechanics from different genres. The game will be available soon on Steam. We’ll keep you posted once a definite release date has been announced.
Ready to break Blackjack? Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers has you battle your way through a seedy tavern filled with gambling addicted townspeople in this Blackjack roguelike adventure.
Dragon Eclipse has not long hit Early Access, and while it’s a little light on stuff to do right now – what with it currently only having one run boss, three difficulty levels and a few different monsters and tamers to pick from – it’s already an incredibly cool take on the roguelike deckbuilder that […]
Despite the enormous success of Dead Cells, I only started playing it recently. It’s easy to overlook just how much influence Dead Cells had on the indie gaming industry. While I enjoy roguelikes, I’m a little burnt out on them. So many are out there now that it’s working out which ones are worth playing.
We’re still in the Steam Summer Sales, and I’ve been making a spreadsheet of stuff I’m interested in. I’m weird like that, but it helps me prioritize what games I want to play. I’m at the point with my library where I want to buy games I know I’ll play sooner than later. I will probably write up my Steam Sale pickups once the sale is over, but for now, I get to enjoy the endless search. Onto today’s episode of ‘Scar Tries’, that brings me to The Rogue Prince Of Persia. There was a reason I mentioned Dead Cells because the team that took over from Dead Cells development in 2019 (Evil Empire) is behind Rogue Prince! Some of my rambles are on topic.
Onto Rogue Prince. The Prince of Persia franchise has long been a popular one, and Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown back in January was a pretty good time, all in all. The Rogue Prince of Persia takes players back to the Persian realm as they try to fight off the massive Hun invasion. Launching in Early Access on the 27th of May, Evil Empire managed to push through some tricky times and the result is a solid piece of kit. Despite the technical problems and optimization facing players at launch, I was lucky to avoid most of it.
As this is a ‘Scar Tries’ article, I’m sharing only my early impressions of the game, so this won’t be a very long piece. I’ve finished just a few levels so far. The current Early Access version features the first act of the story with six levels, a bunch of secret areas, and two boss fights.
With Sargon under relentless attack by the mighty Huns, the player must save their beloved city from the horde. Rogue Prince is incredibly fast-paced even by action roguelike standards, blending aggressive swordplay and acrobatics to create a solid gameplay loop. The usual roguelike structure is in here: finding increasingly powerful buffs and artefacts, unlocking new tools for future runs, and finding new characters to interact with. It’s a difficult game for certain, but I like how well Rogue Prince balances challenge with accessibility. Evil Empire wants The Rogue Prince of Persia to be playable for everyone, and I’m having fun. Movement feels fluid and enjoyable. While I had success playing with a mouse and keyboard, Evil Empire recommends you play with a controller.
The enemy Huns come in different forms. Some like the classic grunts will die easily, while others need their stance broken before you can wail on them. Both you and your opponents can go down quickly if not careful, so keeping mobile is key. With the excellent movement and different tricks you can do during gameplay, the combat feels challenging and fair in equal measure. I got my ass handed to me several times during these initial impressions, particularly the first boss fight. Even when I lost, I still had fun.
Ultimately, that was the biggest takeaway I had. The Rogue Prince of Persia has a long way to go, and the current Early Access version only contains a sliver of the content available. Despite the early setbacks, Evil Empire is easing into this new development cycle. If you’re in the mood for a good-looking action roguelike with great movement, The Rogue Prince of Persia might just be worth looking into.
Streets of Rogue 2 is an immersive open world sandbox RPG where you fight, hack, steal, sneak build and talk your way into power and usurp a corrupt president.
A sequel to the 2020 cult hit original, Streets of Rogue 2 look set to up the ante in every way possible and has a map that’s 10,000 times the size. Drawing inspiration from Rimworld, Valheim, … Read More
The Spell Brigade is an online co-op Survivors-like where up to four players work together to battle massive hordes of dark creatures.
Success in The Spell Brigade is all about working together and finding synergies between your differently skilled characters. The core gameplay has a traditional loop of blasting enemies and earning upgrades, but the co-op element looks set to be a game-changer – especially … Read More
It has been a while since we last spoke of KeeperRL. The hybrid blend of dungeon building sim with roguelike features seems to be doing rather well, with a growing community and regular progress updates. The latest alpha has just been released, and this time it has a flavor for modding.
Aside from the regular bugfixing and gameplay improvements, this build adds upgraded mod support and an in-game downloader for community content. As with most roguelikes, the developers seem to have realized customization is key to maintain community engagement, a very positive assessment in our regard. You can read the full changelog here.
For those who are not reminded, KeeperRL comes in two versions: a gratis package with plain ASCII graphics and no sound, and a commercial package including pixel art graphics and soundtrack, available for 12.99 EUR on a variety of digital stores. The program code is entirely Free Software, licensed under the GPLv3.
It has been a while since we last spoke of KeeperRL. The hybrid blend of dungeon building sim with roguelike features seems to be doing rather well, with a growing community and regular progress updates. The latest alpha has just been released, and this time it has a flavor for modding.
Aside from the regular bugfixing and gameplay improvements, this build adds upgraded mod support and an in-game downloader for community content. As with most roguelikes, the developers seem to have realized customization is key to maintain community engagement, a very positive assessment in our regard. You can read the full changelog here.
For those who are not reminded, KeeperRL comes in two versions: a gratis package with plain ASCII graphics and no sound, and a commercial package including pixel art graphics and soundtrack, available for 12.99 EUR on a variety of digital stores. The program code is entirely Free Software, licensed under the GPLv3.
Edwin spotted this game called Beta Decay that's not got a release date yet or anything, but looks very cool. It's being developed by Rotoscope Studios and it's a low-poly, 90s-inspired mix of dystopian RPG, survival, third and first-person shooter, with some roguelike bits slapped in there, as well. Whew, that's a lot. Potentially too much. But hey, I am here for something ambitious and interesting, of which it ticks both boxes.
In Cleanfall you essentially play a Roomba that is trying to reverse the apocalypse because the apocalypse is messy. A Roomba capable of tunnelling through miles of procedurally generated, monster-infested crust so as to reorganise the Earth's core and bring about its ultimate objective - a sparkling living room. I enjoy the militant reductiveness of this character motivation. There are sprawling underground ecosystems to discover, yes, weird plants to harvest, fractious clumps of tentacles to appraise, avoid or slaughter. But all of these things are contemptible details to be swept up and bagged and thrown in the dumpster.
Grit And Valor 1949 certainly evokes the tactics of Into The Breach, with its stompy machinery and floating tile battlegrounds. But, despite all appearances, this one isn’t actually turn-based at all. A tiley, tiny real time strategy then? Aye, and one that’s actually pretty frantic as it happens. Missions are snappy, intense skirmishes. You’ll fight off waves while trying to protect your useless, freeloading command vehicle. This threat, combined with on-the-fly tactical consider-me-do's like utilising cover and keeping rock-paper-scissors matchups in your favour ends up spawning something quite distinct. Please, do stomp on, preferably with less hypens for all our sakes.
Edwin spotted this game called Beta Decay that's not got a release date yet or anything, but looks very cool. It's being developed by Rotoscope Studios and it's a low-poly, 90s-inspired mix of dystopian RPG, survival, third and first-person shooter, with some roguelike bits slapped in there, as well. Whew, that's a lot. Potentially too much. But hey, I am here for something ambitious and interesting, of which it ticks both boxes.
In Cleanfall you essentially play a Roomba that is trying to reverse the apocalypse because the apocalypse is messy. A Roomba capable of tunnelling through miles of procedurally generated, monster-infested crust so as to reorganise the Earth's core and bring about its ultimate objective - a sparkling living room. I enjoy the militant reductiveness of this character motivation. There are sprawling underground ecosystems to discover, yes, weird plants to harvest, fractious clumps of tentacles to appraise, avoid or slaughter. But all of these things are contemptible details to be swept up and bagged and thrown in the dumpster.
Grit And Valor 1949 certainly evokes the tactics of Into The Breach, with its stompy machinery and floating tile battlegrounds. But, despite all appearances, this one isn’t actually turn-based at all. A tiley, tiny real time strategy then? Aye, and one that’s actually pretty frantic as it happens. Missions are snappy, intense skirmishes. You’ll fight off waves while trying to protect your useless, freeloading command vehicle. This threat, combined with on-the-fly tactical consider-me-do's like utilising cover and keeping rock-paper-scissors matchups in your favour ends up spawning something quite distinct. Please, do stomp on, preferably with less hypens for all our sakes.
It has been a while since we last spoke of KeeperRL. The hybrid blend of dungeon building sim with roguelike features seems to be doing rather well, with a growing community and regular progress updates. The latest alpha has just been released, and this time it has a flavor for modding.
Aside from the regular bugfixing and gameplay improvements, this build adds upgraded mod support and an in-game downloader for community content. As with most roguelikes, the developers seem to have realized customization is key to maintain community engagement, a very positive assessment in our regard. You can read the full changelog here.
For those who are not reminded, KeeperRL comes in two versions: a gratis package with plain ASCII graphics and no sound, and a commercial package including pixel art graphics and soundtrack, available for 12.99 EUR on a variety of digital stores. The program code is entirely Free Software, licensed under the GPLv3.
Chaos and comedy. Death and rebirth. Luck and, uh, running out of luck. A good roguelike doesn't treat the player like other games do. Roguelikes won't guide you helpfully along a path, or let you cinematically snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. They're more likely to dangle you deep between the jaws of defeat and fumble the rope until you go sliding down defeat's hungry gullet. This is their beauty, and it's a part of why we keep coming back for another go. Next time everything will go right. Next time you'll find the right pair of poison-proof loafers, the perfect co-pilot for your spaceship, a stash of stronger, better ropes. Next time.
Here's our list of the 19 best roguelikes on PC you can play in 2024.
League Of Geeks are going "into hibernation". The Australian developers behind fantasy strategy games such as the animal-themed Armello and hellish remake Solium Infernum said that their remaining staff are going to take an extended break, and they're not sure "when (or if)" they will revive the studio.
Chaos and comedy. Death and rebirth. Luck and, uh, running out of luck. A good roguelike doesn't treat the player like other games do. Roguelikes won't guide you helpfully along a path, or let you cinematically snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. They're more likely to dangle you deep between the jaws of defeat and fumble the rope until you go sliding down defeat's hungry gullet. This is their beauty, and it's a part of why we keep coming back for another go. Next time everything will go right. Next time you'll find the right pair of poison-proof loafers, the perfect co-pilot for your spaceship, a stash of stronger, better ropes. Next time.
Here's our list of the 19 best roguelikes on PC you can play in 2024.
League Of Geeks are going "into hibernation". The Australian developers behind fantasy strategy games such as the animal-themed Armello and hellish remake Solium Infernum said that their remaining staff are going to take an extended break, and they're not sure "when (or if)" they will revive the studio.
Roguelike fans have a lot to look forward to as there are a bunch of new exciting games on the horizon. Here are our top 10 picks for roguelike games in 2024 and beyond! With its compelling die-and-repeat model, there’s something about a good roguelike game that keeps us coming back for more. It seems that gamers and the gaming industry at large are inclined to agree, with a staggering abundance of roguelike experiences released in the first half of 2024 alone.
From AAA blockbusters such as God of War Ragnarok’s well-received Valhalla mode, to the early access release of indie hit Hades 2, there’s a roguelike game out there that will suit every flavor. However, there are still a huge number of roguelike experiences that players can look forward to. Read on to discover the roguelike and roguelite games we are most looking forward to.
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time's troubled remake has resurfaced during tonight's Ubisoft Forward showcase with the news it'll finally be arriving in 2026, some six years after it was initially revealed. More happily, Price of Persia: The Lost Crown and The Rogue Prince of Persia both have new updates launching today.
Ubisoft revealed it was remaking Sands of Time back in September 2020, when it was originally due to launch the following January. However, following a less than positive reception to its debut trailer, Ubisoft announced the first of several delays for the project, eventually moving it from original developers Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai to Ubisoft Montreal.
When we last heard from the remake at the end of 2023, Ubisoft announced it had "passed an important internal milestone", but things didn't sound especially far along given the publisher had revealed the rebooted project was still in the "conception" phase in May. A year on, it seems the Sands of Time remake still isn't a state that Ubisoft is confident to show; its re-appearance during tonight's showcase was anticlimactic to say the least, taking the form of a 30-second teaser trailer showing... a candle. We did, at least, get an updated release window, with Ubisoft confirming the remake is now targeting a 2026 launch.
Tenjutsu is an all-new roguelike action game from the designer of Dead Cells.
While we didn't get a release date when Devolver Digital made the reveal, we did get to see some gameplay courtesy of a comprehensive, if brief, announcement trailer, which you can see below:
"Step into the shoes of a renegade yakuza hellbent on defying her former associates and loosening their grip on the Secret Garden City in this fast and fluid rogue-jutsu from Sébastien Benard, the designer of Dead Cells," teases the Steam description.
The creator of the viral Poker game, localthunk, confirmed via a note posted to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that fans will soon be able to pick up a physical copy of the game on PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and last-gen consoles.
As an extra sweetener, each "special edition" will come with a pack of 10 bonus Joker/booster cards.
Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine unveiled its next game at the Devolver Direct showcase.
Called Possessor(s), it's a side-scrolling action game with a beautiful hand-drawn aesthetic set in a devastated mega-city. It's due out in 2025.
Players control two protagonists - Luca and Rehm - with melee combat involving juggles with an array of weapons like swords, bats, and even an electric guitar.
It has been a while since we last spoke of KeeperRL. The hybrid blend of dungeon building sim with roguelike features seems to be doing rather well, with a growing community and regular progress updates. The latest alpha has just been released, and this time it has a flavor for modding.
Aside from the regular bugfixing and gameplay improvements, this build adds upgraded mod support and an in-game downloader for community content. As with most roguelikes, the developers seem to have realized customization is key to maintain community engagement, a very positive assessment in our regard. You can read the full changelog here.
For those who are not reminded, KeeperRL comes in two versions: a gratis package with plain ASCII graphics and no sound, and a commercial package including pixel art graphics and soundtrack, available for 12.99 EUR on a variety of digital stores. The program code is entirely Free Software, licensed under the GPLv3.
I’ve lost way too much time to the Metal Slug series over the years, that most ubiquitous of Neo Geo arcade shooters. Classic Contra-adjacent run-and-gun shooters; loud, dumb and gorgeously animated. So how on earth does that translate to a turn-based tactics game? After playing a few rounds of the surprisingly beefy demo, the answer is ‘impressively well’, a few rough edges aside.
Developed by Lekir Studio (best known for the goth horror roguelike Rogue Lords) Metal Slug Tactics does an admirable job adapting the run-and-gun formula to a turn-based isometric battlefield. Not surprisingly, this one’s a bit of a roguelike too. Or roguelite, or however you want to define a snappy, run-based game where you gradually unlock more goodies and features over time.
Each run, you pick a trio of characters, each with an unlimited ammo primary weapon, a limited-ammo heavy weapon, and a special ability. Then you fight through a series of regions (one in the demo, at least four in the full game), each one a short handful of fights followed by a boss battle.
While the battle maps and objectives are hand-made rather than procedurally generated, your route through each region is unpredictable, as are enemy spawns. Mission rewards and the perks available on levelling up are also somewhat randomised, helping keep things fresh even in the demo.
Enemy attacks come frequently and everything has a 100% chance to hit.
Fights are quick, often five turns or shorter, with simple but varied objectives: Clear all enemies, assassinate several targets while reinforcements constantly spawn, or escape to the other end of the battlefield. It feels like a series of action setpieces, further capturing that Metal Slug feel by forcing constant movement, mimicking run-and-gun aggression.
Enemy attacks come frequently and everything has a 100% chance to hit. Hoofing it to the limit of your character’s movement range gives them a temporary ‘dodge’ buff, which reduces all incoming damage. Stack that with ending your turn behind cover tiles (handily highlighted in blue) and you can often reduce several hits down to almost nothing, or even no-sell damage entirely.
(Image credit: Gamera Games)
Given that health recharges fully after each fight and KO’d squaddies are revived for free, it’s often safer to charge headlong into a group of enemies than hunker down. Every system plays into encouraging this kind of measured recklessness, like movement generating Adrenaline, the resource used to activate special abilities.
Not only is it okay to have enemies shoot at your squad, but if you make the right move, it’s good to take damage. Even if two of your squad are dead and a third is at death’s door, completing an objective ensures there’s nothing lost come the start of the next fight. Plus, if you overextend, you can spend extra lives (one of two limited resources, with heavy weapon ammo being the other) to revive them on the spot.
(Image credit: Gamera Games)
Recklessness is so encouraged that taking damage in creative ways feels like a key part of Metal Slug Tactics. One scenario in the demo has you trying to survive five turns while being bombarded by an artillery tower. At turn start it picks two of your squad to be targeted, and at the end of your turn, they take a direct hit no matter where they stand. If you move quickly and get behind cover for the full defensive bonus, they’ll shrug it off, but the cover will probably break, forcing them to keep dashing from point to point. Of course, you can also just run into the middle of a swarm of enemies and have the blast damage them as well.
It’s perfectly viable to catch your own teammates in a grenade or shotgun blast if the numbers work in your favour, and not having to worry about healing or revives between fights feels like a huge relief after so many roguelikes where taking a single bad hit can kneecap you for an entire run.
There is room for subtlety, though, and that’s where the Sync system comes in. If you take a shot at an enemy while a teammate is in position to hit with their (free) primary weapon, then they’ll take that shot as a free bonus action. Stack up right, and you can hit enemies with all three characters a turn. Instant death for grunts, and so powerful that bosses can only have one sync shot hit them per turn.
It’s fast, messy knockabout tactics.
In short, it’s fast, messy knockabout tactics. Forgiving if you’re willing to burn lives, but with room for a lot of precision and skill once you understand the mechanics. It feels like Metal Slug. Sounds the part, too, and looks… near enough. Aesthetically, the screenshots and trailer speak for themselves—this is a great-looking game, and while it doesn’t quite nail the aesthetic of SNK’s gorgeous sprite-work (the shading looks a tiny bit off), it comes shockingly close. Every character bounces and wiggles excitedly when left idle, and battle animations are full of exaggerated motion and stretchy, squashy smear frames.
There’s a surprising amount of meat on the demo’s bones too. My first successful run took around an hour, but completing that unlocked close-combat specialist Tarma, the option to spend currency to expand the upgrades pool and a second difficulty level, which bumps up the tier of enemies encountered but bumps up the rewards and vehicle spawns (such as the titular Metal Slug tank) to help deal with the tougher bad guys.
(Image credit: Gamera Games)
While a good time already, the demo does have a few wrinkles. Though it's mostly arcade-authentic, the UI looks a little sterile and overly clean in places, and some bigger bits of pixel-art (such as the title screen) look a little underbaked. I also bumped into a couple bugs where the UI refused to respond, forcing me to quit and re-open the game. Thematically, it could also raise eyebrows to see so many scimitar-swinging Arab stereotypes in the demo, with the promise of masked jungle cultists in loincloths coming in the full game. Granted these are all enemies lifted straight from the arcade originals, but might sit poorly with a 2024 audience.
Without a release date pinned down, the technical issues have plenty of potential to get fixed, at the very least, and I’m eager to see the other environments and enemy types. Metal Slug Tactics launches later this year, with the demo available on Steam now, and has my seal of approval.
A new trailer from the PC Gaming Show highlights some key bits of new gameplay from Windblown, the next game from Dead Cells developer Motion Twin. Notably, Motion Twin wants it to be not just a good single player roguelite, but a cooperative one for up to 3 people.
First highlighted is Windblown's ultra-high-speed dashes courtesy of a convenient back-mounted thruster carried by all three playable protagonists. They're dang fast, blasting through multiple screens of the isometric-view action in seconds and arcing players over enemy attacks. You'll also be able to switch weapons mid-run, and swapping to a new weapon after the end of a full combat will let you pull off a stylish "ultra attack."
There's also a bit of multiplayer footage, during which Motion Twin's community manager explains how you can blend your character's build with your co-op partners to get a variety of choices. There's even a slick moment where one character distracts the enemy with a longer-reach attack while the others wail on it from behind, and another where all three players sync up a stylish dash attack to take down a big buzzsaw robot.
Motion Twin's goal with Windblown was to adapt the ultra-fast, ultra-smooth style of Japanese action games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta to a multiplayer format. "There are roguelites where multiplayer is cool, I can play with my friends, but I cannot do that stylish Japanese action that goes super fast," said designer Yannick Berthier to PC Gamer earlier this year.
Motion Twin's prior hit Dead Cells is considered a genre-defining action roguelike and has remained on top of the heap for the six years since its 2018 release, racking up a half-dozen well-received expansions including last year's licensed Return to Castlevania.
Steam Next Fest, which kicked off in 2021 as the successor to the Steam Game Festival, remains one of the best ways to see what good games are on the horizon. The event, which runs several times a year, acts as a hub for in-development titles to offer demos. We’ve been through the latest batch to highlight some of the…
"Deus Ex but tiny and hilarious" is how I pitch the first Streets of Rogue to people in elevators. Then I kick the elevator control panel to pieces, climb out the hatch, and cut the cord with a buzzsaw I smuggled in earlier. "It's also total chaos!" I yell, as the elevator plummets. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Streets of Rogue 2 is looking similarly chaotic. But one thing has been brought to order: its release date. It's coming to early access on August 14th, while a new trailer (below) shows horse riding, flame throwing, and speed boating. My favourite moment is when a man pumps magic gas into a room full of people doing zumba, and it turns them all into giants, and they freak out and start smashing the walls in a panic.
A goat or a lamb - which makes the better sacrifice? Trick question, it's neither. The best sacrifices are old rich people. In Cult of the Lamb's next update, Unholy Alliance, you can sacrifice folks with a pal. The upcoming free update will add a co-op goat character so a friend can indoctrinate and stab alongside you. The developers have shown off the two-player update amid the summer news plague that is threatening to tear entire branches off the RPS treehouse this week. "Summoned by blood and born in corruption, this wicked new ally can join the holy Lamb in local co-op," say publishers Devolver. Ah, local co-op. Not online then. I guess this is for real-life people with real-life friends and a proper real-life sofa. Well. Good for them. I'm happy for them. Couldn't be happier. Happy happy happy.
Pow! Biff! Dead! Cells! Catch that plate I just threw you! And this one! Oh no, there’s another plate coming toward you, also thrown by me! And look, you don’t have any free hands left to catch this one! Eat plate! You have been well and truly beaten up, but that’s fine. Here’s something nice to take your mind off the pain. Tenjutsu is a new fluid and frenetic punchy-dudey action game from Dead Cells designer Sébastien Benard.
Oh, this one looks nice, doesn’t it? Tears Of Metal is a rousing medieval stabathon that sees you retaking your Scottish island from a bunch of bad lads who’ve decided to come have a go, which was a bit silly of them, honestly. It’s a hack n’ slash co-op roguelike with some nifty looking strategy elements and a striking art style, but you can tell most of that from the trailer below:
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